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Philadelphia's Historic District sits in the heart of the city's downtown region and plays host to more than one million annual visitors. The Independence National Historical Park encompasses a sprawling bit of urban space known as the Independence Mall and includes iconic landmarks such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The surrounding region features a host of varied restaurants, some of which offer high-end dining experiences.

Italian

Positano Coast (positanocoast.net) sits just two short blocks from the historic Carpenter's Hall. The bright interior, patterned after the Amalfi Coast, includes murals depicting the famed Italian coast, second-story views of Philadelphia's Old City, cobalt blue flooring and a mixture of vibrant blue and stark white walls. Dinner fare includes sea urchin pasta, homemade gnocchi gorgonzola and baked cannelloni with ground rib-eye. Dolce Restaurant (dolcerestaurant.com) lies kitty-corner to the Independence Mall. The restaurant offers an upscale setting, including an illuminated floor that changes colors, candlelit tables, colorful recessed lighting, dramatically curved ceilings and bar seating. The menu features such Italian dishes as eggplant parmesan, spaghetti with homemade meatballs and linguine with basil pesto.

Asian Fusion

Located directly across the street from Carpenter's Hall, Buddakan (buddakan.com) features a high-end interior, complete with candlelight, massive ceilings, long white gauze curtains and a towering gold Buddha statue, set against dark red walls. The extensive menu includes a mixture of Asian cuisine, such as spring rolls, pad Thai, wasabi mashed potatoes and wok cashew chicken. The restaurant also offers bento boxes and dim sum dining. Swanky Bubbles (swankybubbles.com) serves a wide variety of Asian dishes, including chicken vegetable stir-fry, curried chicken dumplings and vegetable tempura, as well 25 different champagnes. The upscale setting highlights blue velvet draperies, exposed brick walls, mosaic blue glass tabletops and a full bar equipped with distorted curves carved from wood. Swanky Bubbles places diners just 10 minutes from the Liberty Bell on foot.

American

Fork (forkrestaurant.com) lies just two short blocks from the Independence Visitors Center, greater Philadelphia's official visitor's center. The restaurant serves a Sunday brunch and a variety of wines stemming from Austria, France and California. Dinner entrees include hearty fare like grilled smoked pork chops and half-shell oysters. The high-end interior features dark hardwood floors, rustic light fixtures and high ceilings. The City Tavern Restaurant (citytavern.com) sits mere steps from the Independence Mall. Established in 1773, the historic tavern served as the unofficial meeting place for the First Continental Congress and hosted such luminaries as George Washington and Paul Revere. The restaurant features creaky hardwood floors, chandeliers, candlelit tables and waiters dressed in Colonial-era clothing. The dinner menu offers such items as turkey pot pie, rack of lamb and New York strip steak.

Small Plates

Amada (amadarestaurant.com) offers a host of Spanish tapas, including such shareable plates as parmesan artichokes, Spanish olives, balsamic strawberries and lobster paella. The menu also features a wide variety of Spanish wines, beers and sangrias. The interior includes hardwood floors, dark wood furnishings and an open kitchen. The restaurant puts visitors just five minutes from Independence Hall on foot. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar (cubalibrerestaurant.com) sits a half-mile from Independence Mall. The two-story setting features distressed walls, lush indoor vegetation, wicker chairs and bamboo ceiling fans. Small plate items include Cuban guacamole with plantain chips and arugula salads topped with pesto-grilled shrimp and roasted sweet potatoes, as well as shareable appetizers like ceviche and empanadas. On some evenings the restaurant presents salsa dancers as entertainment.

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About the Author

A travel writer since 2002, Jane Gosford has written countless articles for online pop-culture magazines and various travel-related websites, including Eurobooking and World66. Gosford also has experience in copywriting, having developed a series of articles related to network marketing. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in theater arts.